The present invention relates to an image forming method for a composite-type digital copying machine having, for example, a copying function, a network printer function and a facsimile function.
In a conventional image forming apparatus such as a digital copying machine, a print job consisting of image data and print information is stored as a job file in a memory such as a hard-disk drive. Where a plurality of job files are stored in a hard-disk drive, plural print jobs based on the respective job files are successively executed.
In addition, in order to simplify the processing of a print job, a plurality of job files are generated by dividing one print job in accordance with common items of print conditions, such as a sheet size and a resolution, and thus printing is executed.
However, where a print process based on a job file is executed, if it cannot normally be executed due to some cause, the process is suspended and the digital copying machine stands in an error state. Consequently, where there are a plurality of job files to be successively executed, if any one of plural jobs is not normally executed due to some cause, the process is suspended at that time and the digital copying machine stands in an error state. In such a case, there arises a problem in that the digital copying machine cannot execute processing of the job files remaining in the hard-disk drive until the user goes to the front of the digital copying machine and the error state is remedied.